A Chance of Redemption
by evilquail
Summary: Several different reincarnations of Erik are allowed a second chance at life, convinced to move to the 21st century, each by a different friend. But how much convincing will these Phantom's need?
1. Chapter 1

A Chance of Redemption

Chapter one

Sometimes, death is inevitable. It's seen, it's known, and it's only a matter of time. It can come with peace and tranquility, happiness and fulfillment, rest and redemption. A time to move on to the other side, to say final goodbyes to loved ones and move on to a friendlier sky.

But for three unlucky men, it was none of the above. For them it was a sudden burst, a broken heart, oozing and bleeding with the remnants of a love that could never be. They were forced into hell by the wicked deeds that had encased their lives. These acts were not committed purposefully but in fact were the tragic remnants of geniuses, doomed by their own loneliness and suffering, forced to scramble the monotony of living day to day in solitude.

They were the stuff of stories. The fictional remnants of a book, a movie, a play. Forgotten in the strange vortex of parallel dimensions. They were Erik. Each in a different sense, each in a different place, each with a different story. But they were essentially all the same.

All they needed was a chance. A revival in a place where they could be accepted and maybe even loved for the beautiful people they were behind the scarred twisted flesh.

And we were going to give them that chance.

There were three of us in all. Mary. Caroline. Catherine. We were chosen to bring them to our world, a world of progress and triumph which they would otherwise never see. A world that would accept them for who they were. The 21st century.

Essentially, our mission was simple:

Give them hope.

Give them strength.

Give them dignity.

We were carefully selected on our qualities. Our values. Our strengths. Our Morals. Each one of us was different. But each one of us was the same. We each wanted to help.

**Okay. For anyone wondering this is based off of a dream I had involving me and two friends. If you think I should continue this, please review. Or else it won't be updated. I don't own Phantom of the Opera, Lon Cheney, Gaston Leroux, or Andrew Lloyd Webber I don't own Mary or Caroline either. But I do own myelf. I hope. Enjoy the story :) **


	2. Chapter 2

A Chance of Redemption

Chapter 2

What is love? Why does it trick us so? How can it deceive even the most clever of souls into brandishing false hopes for another?

Alas, Erik did not know. He would probably never know.

How could he have been so stupid? How could she abandon him? He had trained her, loved her, cared for her. He had been her angel. She had promised to be his. Forever. But it was a lie. A cold heartless lie. She had left with another, without so much as a goodbye.

He vowed he would never waste his time on another. Never again would his heart be broken.

As he stared into the cold lonely silence of the abyss before him, he did the one thing he never thought he would do: he cried.

::::::::::

Some people are born strange. Others have strangeness thrust upon them.

The latter was true of Caroline.

The letter had come last week. It spoke of great things. Of scientific achievements. Of wonders beyond what she could comprehend. Of Erik.

The note spoke of how a patron of literature and brilliant scientist had always been devoted to find a way to help those characters not fortunate enough to have a happy ending. Anna Garland had spent her life attempting to find a way to change their lives for the better. And now she had found the answer.

Anna had invented a device that allowed the user to travel to lands once only dreamed of. Fictional worlds were no longer out of reach. They could be a reality for the user, with a simple push of a button and the flick of a switch. A true miracle.

The request was rather unusual: travel into Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Befriend Erik and convince him to travel to the 21st century to start over with life. To have a second chance.

As Caroline looked the letter over a second time, she had one thing in mind.

_When do I start? _

**I hope the second chapter is living up to everyone's expectations. Please review. I appreciate any advice, critisicm or ideas I can use to make this story the best it can be. Enjoy :) **


	3. Chapter 3

_The requiem rang out through the dismal caverns. A song of loss, of emptiness, of sadness. His small amount was now completely gone, dwindled with her leaving. What had he done to deserve all of this? He had never been an angel, but was he truly the God of death, the model of misfortune and strife?_

_Why couldn't he be just be normal? Why had he been born with this wretched deformity, these twisted features? He could have been a world famous composer, traveling the world not in hiding but in celebrity. He would have fans in all corners of the universe and his concerts would be attended by the most influential musicians and artists of the time. He could have met her at a show, she was entranced by the music and he was entranced by her beauty. They fell in love at once, and soon, when the time was right… he proposed. The wedding would be set for- _

_But these were only dreams. And she was gone. _

_:::::::::: _

Mary was not the most observant person. Well at least in Catherine's opinion. It was so interesting- the way she shrieked when just barely provoked, the way she jumped every time she was startled. Humor. And Catherine always took advantage of it. Almost every day she was jumping out from behind walls, startling her companion.

Catherine you see, had always been rather dark. She had been in and out of therapists offices, her parents constantly hoping that she would be "normal" or at least as little of a burden to their reputations as possible. She often spoke in prose, perhaps reflecting her love of Shakespeare from an early age. On the other hand, Mary had always been sweet and innocent, her demeanor much loved by everyone around her. While she had always dreamed of being a princess in her own fairytale Catherine had always wanted to be nothing. Nothing at all, in her opinion at least, was the greatest thing to be. But as the two sat at the lunch table, they discussed the one thing that they did have in common. The letter.

Mary was positively overjoyed at the appearance of this note and the task that she was expected to embark on. IT would be amazing to meet her true hero. Although she loved all of the Phantoms, Mary was secretly relieved to have been assigned to the Erik from the 2004 movie. The least dangerous. And the most adorable.

But Catherine was not as overjoyed. She knew her Erik would be much more of a challenge. The most dangerous of the three being saved from a life lived in hell. Leroux Erik.

::::::::::

_**DAMN HER! DAMN THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE! DAMN THIS HIDEOUS CORPSE! **_

_**Why could Erik have been so stupid and idiotic? He should have known- they are all up to trouble, their identities and reputations simply rely on cosmetic beauty, why couldn't he have forseen the lack of understanding of the beauty within?  
Oh woe to me! Her living breathing corpse! Her one true devoted follower! I taught her everything! How to sing, how to dance, how to love! YET SHE WENT WITH ANOTHER. **_

_**SHE WILL PAY.**_

_**THEY WILL ALL PAY. **_

A/N: sorry this took so long. I just started school. so yeah. but i will try to update more often. oh and by the way first section (italics) is movie erik and third section (bold and italic) is Leroux erik

thanks for reading


	4. Chapter 4

A Chance of Redemption

Chapter 4

As the darkness set in on the blustery winter's night, a machine sat vacant. Waiting.

As the sun began to set and the snow began to fall, three girls packed up the few things that they would need in the worlds that they were about to transcend into.

The time was near.

As the sun began to rise on a fresh snow fall three girls, the same as before, boarded the machine to accomplish the mission that they had anticipated for so long.

The time had come.

:::::::::::

_Was he dead? Gone? _

_Am I too late? _

_My adorable Erik! My sweet an innocent, tortured Erik! _

_What if they harmed him? The mob of civilians was cruel and unforgiving, surely he would have been tortured or even worse- killed if he had been discovered! _

_Why does anyone think that he could ever deserve this inhumane treatment? Who could possibly imagine a sweeter man- thrown in to the most desperate of circumstances and forced to survive on his own. It's terrible really! _

_But what if I'm wrong? I would be so happy, so grateful if I could just discover him unharmed. Maybe he will take my advice, and listen to me, and maybe one day, one day soon perhaps he will even learn to love me! Just like he loved her! _

_That would be wonderful! _

_But I am a step ahead of myself._

_I must find him. I must find the Phantom. I must find my Erik. _

::::::::::

**Damn it. **

**Why is it so dark in here? At least when I saw this on stage there was a light or two! But here- here even Mexican Jesus wouldn't be able to see an inch in front of his face! **

**Where the hell is Erik? They said he'd be around here, after all, I'm pretty sure this is his lair, but between the lighting and the lack of a sign that says "Welcome to the Lair" I'm kinda lost. Wasn't his lair supposed to be in the fifth cellar or something? **

**I'm beginning to wonder if this is worth it, to you know do this. After all it will be kinda dangerous… but not to fear. At least I'm not in Sweeney Todd, or Naruto, or Watchmen, or…**

**::::::::::**

_**He's going to kill me isn't he? **_

_**No matter, I'm going to die at some point, so it may as well be now. **_

_**I have always been rather fascinated by death. What is it? When will it come? Why does it often strike the most innocent of us all? **_

_**What will occur after the fact? Will we simply lay in the ground, rotting, or might there be more- an afterlife perhaps? **_

_**But now is no time to wonder. Now is a time to discover the joys and happiness of life with the phantom I have been assigned to. **_

_**Leroux Erik. **_

**A/N: And so that wraps up the chapter four. Thank you for reading and please review. **


	5. Chapter 5

A Chance of Redemption

Chapter 5

It was so frightening.

Oh so frightening.

The abyss in front of her.

The nothingness behind her.

There was no going back now.

No finding her way to the surface, no finding herself in the shelter of the light once again.

The darkness was a blindfold, a shield to what was about to come.

She was full aware that these seconds she was spending at the present may well be the last she would ever spend on earth.

But it didn't matter anyways.

All that mattered was him.

All that mattered was Erik.

::::::::::

_The volume of the sobbing increased as Mary quietly paddled across the lake five cellars below the Opera Populaire. Did he not notice her? Or did he simply not choose to? _

_She could see Erik from the other bank, monkey music box in his cold corpse like fingers, the porcelain figurine clanging silver cymbals to the rhythm. He was obviously lonely, waiting for something to come into his life and change his outlook on love. _

_Mary felt that she was the only one to console him, that she was the only one to ease his pain. Even if that consoling resulted in her death. _

_For Erik, poor unfortunate Erik, was a killer. _

_And that fact would never change. _

_::::::::::_

_**WHO HAS THE NERVE TO VISIT ERIK AS HE PREPARES FOR HIS ETERNAL SLUMBER? WHO HAS THE FOOLISH COURAGE TO DARE AND INTERRUPT HIM IN HIS MOST IMPORTANT WORK? Are they simply petty thieves or maybe something more? No matter. Erik will have the last laugh. As Erik is in possession of the magical lasso. **_

_**The blood of Erik's victims will continue to flow, you see, even after he is dead and gone. The memories of him will still be there. **_

_**But now is not the time for such madness. Now is time for Erik to do what he pleases with the foolish child who has set off his alarms. **_

_**Watch as his rope wraps slowly around the neck. It is a snake, strong willed and brash, a mind of it's own. It will never let go, not for pleas, not for bribes, not for… **_

_**Christine? **_

::::::::::

A/N: Thank you for reading the next chapter of this story. Please review, it really means alot to me when I know that people are appreciating my stories. Do it or Leroux Erik will punjab you. He's in a rather foul mood today :)


	6. Chapter 6

A chance at Redemption

Chapter 6

After what seemed like hours of paddling, Mary finally came across her phantom. What she saw shocked her. The man- or what was left of him was huddled in a small alcove: alone, dripping wet, sobbing. He looked so pitiful and yet somehow he still managed to retain a bit of a dangerous aura. The girl slowly approached him, unsure of what to say do or think.

How should she even approach this man? Although he was drowned in misery, he was still a killer, there was no doubting that. As she slowly crawled toward him, his eyes began to raise in questioning.

The phantom tried to regain his composure, seeing that he was not alone. "I shall have to kill you mademoiselle, for you have seen my face."

" Erik…"

The man's head snapped up at the mention of the name which he had chosen for himself so long ago "What… do you know of me."

Mary gulped. She knew she would have to tell him some time or another, however it was a bit early for explanations. "You are the Phantom of the Opera. You killed Joseph Buquet. You were saved from a circus by Madame Giry, you are in love, but you let her leave with the man she desired. You have lived all alone in these catacombs since you were 11. Shall I go on?"

The stunned man shook his head. "And tell me why I should not kill you for knowing these things. You seem to have knowledge of the fact that I have killed before. And I can do it again. Easily. I'm sure a small weakling woman like you will not be missed. I'll probably be doing your parents a favor in fact. Now were we?"

As the Phantom pulled out his lasso, Mary had one final idea.

::::::::::

_My God, I have harmed her. My Christine. _

_I thought she was an intruder. A robber, someone coming back to root through my prized possessions hoping to find something to pawn. _

_Erik will never forgive himself. He must treat his Christine with outright care and dignity and pray that she will not cry. For Erik could not see his living wife cry. _

_Erik had thought he was going to die. And Christine- his Christine had come back to bury him. OH WOE ON ERIK! THE MONSTER! _

::::::::

**I must have gotten hit on the head or something… Am I dead? Or dreaming? Surely Leroux Erik would show no mercy on my intrusion into his home. I must be dead. This room is quite lovely though. Perhaps this is heaven. I never believed in a God in life but perhaps death was kind to me in spite of my disbelief. Or maybe this is… **

**"Oh CHRISTINE! You have awoken! Erik will never forgive himself for what he has done to your beautiful features! " **

**Hell. **

**::::::::::**

_He is gone. _

_Is he dead?_

_He couldn't be! _

_How could he have run away so quickly? How will I ever find the man who I am supposed to be helping? And what is that ungodly smell? _

_I have looked for him for ages it seems, every corner and mouse hole. But he is not in the lair. _

_It was pretty cool coming down here for the first time, I'll admit. It's much better in person than it is on the stage. Although it's frankly terrifying down here the art that he has created is pretty awesome. And the organ- don't get me started on the organ. The stage just doesn't do it justice. It's massive, at least two stories tall. _

_I had to have wandered around there for a while, when suddenly I heard a most melodious voice. _

"_I pray you have a good reason to be down her, mademoiselle, or else you will be dead in an instant."_

_As I turned around I noticed the face behind me. What I saw was absolutely terrifying. Erik's face was much worse in person than I had imagined. It was clear that some of his scars were recent, still bleeding and cracked- as if he had maimed himself after the woman of his dreams had left. His tuxedo was rumpled and dirty, his eyes had a glassy sheen. He looks close to death, uncaring, and yet all the more dangerous. _

_How was I supposed to get out of this one? _

_**

* * *

**_

A/N well it's been a while folks but here's an update... finally :D so uh please review and enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

A Chance of Redemption  
Chapter 7

Caroline:  
The look in his eyes was murderous. Lasso in hand, Erik was ready to strike at any given moment, and I knew I only had one chance to save my own life.

I took a deep breath and began to speak: "Sir, I have come here to save your life."

The masked man in front of me laughed humorlessly "And how do you expect to do that I wonder? After all, I am so close to ending yours."  
"I can help you. I can bring you to another world, a place where you will have a second chance."

The phantom sneered, clearly not believing my words "Are you drunk madame? Or simply daft?"  
There was no way this man would heed my words and come with me willingly. In fact, I would be surprised if I was able to get out of this situation alive if he had anything to say about it. I knew it was time for me to use my last resort, the pepper spray I brought with me. I sprayed Erik in the face, and while he was disoriented and in pain, I transported both of us back to my hometime.

::::::::::

Mary:

The brokenhearted phantom glared down at me angrily. I knew who he was. I had seen his face. And now, he had decided, I was going to die.

But I couldn't let it happen, it wasn't my time. I had signed on to take this poor mistreated man back to find a better life and I was determined to save him even if it cost me my own life.

I realized that this phantom, the least cold hearted of them all, might respond positivley to affection. He was so child like- and even through his dangerous rage, I could still detect traces of the vulnerable state he had been in before he noticed me approaching. Therefore, I did the most logical thing I could have done in the situation:

I smiled at him.

He looked at me in shock, I later found out that I was the first person to smile at him when he was not waring his mask.  
"It's okay." I said, as soothingly as possible, "I'm here to help you. To bring you to a better place. A place full of acceptance."

He began to sob as discreetly as possible "And what makes... makes you think I will go with you? How can I believe... your claims?"

"You have lost everything tonight. Why not take my hand and allow me to lead you out of this darkness? After all, even if I am lying you have lost nothing. And I will not struggle should you decide to kill me if my promises do not lead up to your expectations"  
And with that, I grabbed his hand and led him to his new hometime.

::::::::::

Catherine:  
Through my still delierious state, I pondered what to do. Should I tell him my true identity and face almost certain death? Should I play along with his state of confusion until I come up with a way to reveal the truth to him that would hopefully not end in my death? Or should I simply take him to my time with no explanation whatsoever and pray that he dosen't kill me out of rage once he discovers what I have done?

Strangley enough, I pulled off a mix of all three.

I sat up in the bed and groaned, "Where am I?" then I looked straight at Erik

"Oh, my dear!" he cried leaping to his feet, "You have been here before! You are in Erik's home, in your own room!"

"I have never been here before!" I replied

Erik stood up in horror, "Oh God, Erik has harmed her mind!"  
Not wanting Erik to harm himself I jumped out of the bed "Wait! I know you! You are that man... that man, Erik!"  
Erik fell to my feet, and began to kiss my shoes, "Oh Christine! You remember! You remember your poor unhappy Erik!"

I looked around the room "I am not named Christine. I am Catherine."  
Erik began to cry, "Oh God! There is damage! Poor Christine does not know who she is!"  
"I am Catherine. And I am from the future."  
Still crying, Erik stood up and began to pace around the room, ranting to himself "How can Erik save his beautiful angel? Perhaps Erik should just play along with her fantasies, and hopes she recovers!" He turned back to me, "And what time are you from my love?"

"2011. Come to the future with me, Erik"

Erik looked puzzled, but continued to play along out of concern for "Christine" "very well my Christine, I shall come"  
I grabbed his bony hand and we were off.

**Wow I haven't updated any of my stories for forever. I guess I could try to excuse this but I really can't so um here is the next chapter, and hopefully it will be updated a bit sooner than it was last time, yeah? Anyways I also made the format a bit easier so that next time the eriks have POV (in the next chapter) it will say Leroux Erik, ALW Erik, Or Gerik. I just thought it made it easier to read, because it's hard to discern who is who. Well until next time, thanks for reading and please review! It only takes a little bit and it really means alot when people tell me what I could improve on or what I'm doing right. **


	8. Chapter 8

ALW Erik:

I couldn't see, I couldn't speak, I could only concentrate on the intense searing pain triggered by whatever that obnoxious lunatic had sprayed into my eyes. Looking back, I don't remember much of those agonizing moments, but when the pain finally subsided and my vision had cleared, I was in a much different environment. It was white, all white. We were surrounded by large steel contraptions and the light that somehow came out of the celling was unbearable.

And that girl…

She simply stood there, smiling at me. It was disgusting. I was in an unknown place with this woman, on the brink of a murderous rage, and she was _smiling?_ I was ready to kill her right then and there, but a loud beep from one of the metal contraptions behind me brought me back to reality. I had to know where she had taken me so I could escape.

I looked in the eye, trying to control my fury "Mademoiselle. Where. Are. We."

To my disbelief, her smile only grew wider "Welcome to the future, Erik!"

_The Future? _

Surely she was insane. I knew I had to get out of the strange white room as quickly as I could. I grabbed my lasso out of my breast pocket and prepared to end her life.

"Goodbye Mademoiselle."

Just as I threw the noose towards her neck, I felt a sharp pinch in my leg. I spun around and quickly noticed a syringe protruding out of the limb. _Dammit._ I looked in the direction where the dart had come from, only to see several armed men running towards me, screaming obscenities.

And then everything went black.

::::::::::

Gerik:

I nearly died of shock. The girl was telling the truth. One moment we were standing in the ruins of my sanctuary, and the next, we were in a bright room full of strange machines.

I looked at the girl next to me, and she smiled apprehensively "We've arrived, Erik. Welcome to 2011."

It was all too much for me. Feelings I had never felt before began to rush into my mind. I was in a new time. A new place. I could start over. Maybe, in this time, they had medicine to fix my wretched face! I could be the man I longed to be! Maybe I would be so handsome that Christine…

Oh Christine…

I fell onto my knees and began to cry. The girl was instantly at my side with a handkerchief. "What's the matter?"  
I could barely speak through the tears, "Ch….Chris… tine"

The girl put her arm around me and I instantly tensed up. She retracted her arm and sighed, "Did I hurt you?"

I almost laughed through the tears? This girl was worried if she _hurt_ me? "No… no. I'm just not… used to it… sorry"

She looked at me with compassionate eyes. "It's alright"

::::::::::

Leroux Erik

Oh my poor Christine! She was having delusions and thought she could take me to the future! How could Erik save her from herself?

When Erik was in Persia, he remembers the princesses' son had delusions like these for nearly a year. Because of the heat, the doctors deduced. The entire court was asked to simply play along with his fantasies until he recovered. Perhaps Erik should simply play along with Christine.

I sighed and rubbed my hand through my sparse hair.

"Very well, my Christina, I shall come."

She smiled up at me, and grabbed my hand. If I hadn't been so shocked at this gesture I would have been more aware of the sudden change of surroundings.

"Christine… you touched your Erik! Erik could die of happiness!"

She simply giggled "I told you Erik, I'm Catherine! And welcome to the future! Look around!"

I did as she requested, and I must say I nearly had a heart attack. We were not in my lair, but in a laboratory of some sort, with strange contraptions which not only glowed with light, but also made mysterious sounds! Was I hallucinating now?

"Christine, Erik is going mad."

To my astonishment, she giggled louder "No, Erik! You aren't mad! Welcome to 2011!"

As soon as she spoke, an older woman came running up. She seemed to have no reservations whatsoever about being in the presence of a living corpse as she came right up and shook my hand.  
"Hello Erik! My name is Anna Hayes. I am the chief scientist who has pioneered time travel technology. My you certainly seem to have taken this journey better than the other Eriks! Lloyd Webber's Erik had to be tranquilized after trying to kill his host, and Gerard Butler Erik is on the floor sobbing! Well I hope you find your experience in the future to be enjoyable!"

I blinked, dumbfounded by the information. I'm in the future? She really is not Christine? These people are not afraid of Erik? There were other Eriks?  
Needless to say, Erik had quite a few questions….

**Hello again to my loveley readers! This chapter was put out later than promised, but earlier than usual, so I guess there is some improvement there? (maybe?) Anyways, I hoped everyone enjoyed the chapter. And even if you didn't I'd love to hear from you. I'm sure every single fanfiction author has said this at some point but your reviews really make my day. Constructive criticism is appreciated, I want to know if you think someone was out of character or this chapter was not up to par, because I will try my hardest to make sure I won't repeat my mistakes. I sincerley want to become a better writer, so criticism (as well as praise, of course) is encouraged. **

**Oh and special thanks to crazyone256 who inspired me to get back on it and quit being lazy and update. Oh and I approve of your excellent use of walruses. **


	9. Chapter 9

Caroline:

Oh god that was close. I nearly died. He nearly killed me!

I guess I should have expected it… after all, he IS an Erik, even if he's not the most notoriously violent of the three.

I glanced towards the bed where Erik lay. Since he was comatose, I examined the unmasked portion of his face. Not particularly attractive, due to years of abuse and starvation, but not entirely hideous either. I absentmindedly wondered what the hidden face looked like…

No, I couldn't do that to him. I didn't want to anger him anymore then I already had, and silently vowed to never touch the mask without his consent.

I sat down in the armchair next to the bed and pulled out one of my favorite books _Wuthering Heights_. This might be a long night.

I read for at least several hours, when I suddenly heard Erik stir. I watched as he gradually gained consciousness and regained his sense of awareness. He noticed me and I witnessed the anger flash through his eyes at the memories of the previous night.

"Good morning, Mademoiselle" His words were laced with fury

"Good morning, sir." I tried to put on a smile. God it was hard to be polite to a man who nearly put me in my grave.

"Mademoiselle I asked you this once before but I did not get a logical answer. Where am I?"

I sighed. Here we go again. "Like I said the first time you are in the future"

He growled obviously irritated with my response.

"Monsieur I shall prove it to you!" I grabbed my cell phone and held it up in his face. "Look Erik. Future technology"

He examined it in disbelief "Mon dieu! I have seen everything! Perhaps I really am in the future!"

::::::::::

Mary:

After I finally managed to soothe Erik and he was no longer crying, I decided to explain what had happened a bit further to him.

"The doctor who you will meet soon recently discovered a way to transport fictional characters into our time in the real world. She decided to use this invention to help fictional characters whom had horrible experiences in their own world and give them a second lease on life." I smiled reassuringly.

Erik looked up at me processing the words, "Wait… fictional? Fictional characters?"

I looked at him sadly "Yes Erik, you were invented by a combination of several men. There are actually more Eriks in other fictional worlds and you will meet them shortly"

He looked dumbfounded "So… I'm not… real? Chris-Christine's not real? We're just… a story?"

Poor man! I looked at him as sympathetically as I could "Well in a sense… yes. In this world anyways. But in your world it was very real and the emotions you felt during your life were absolutely genuine"

"Can I go back?"

I looked down unsure of the answer, "I'm not sure. I don't think you can though. At least not right away or anything. I'll have to ask the doctor. But right now, we have to get you adjusted to your new home."

::::::::::

Catherine:

Erik looked like he was about to die of shock. He steadied himself on a large boiler and gawked at both me and Dr. Hayes as if we were circus freaks.

"This is the future" He muttered to himself "I am 150 years in the future"

"It's not really the future for you anymore though" I told him "This is your home now. You are to live here and become accustomed to our more accepting and diverse society."

Erik studied the celling as he thought of a response "Erik lives at the Opera. In the fifth cellar. Not in some strange dystopian future fantasy. Erik must be dreaming of this. Or perhaps he is dead. And this is his hell. Is he dead Madame?"  
Dr. Hayes looked at Erik with mild amusement "No Erik, you aren't dead or dreaming. This is real."

Erik looked at the doctor with bewilderment and then anger. "Madame, you don't understand. Erik takes strange potions occasionally. He hallucinates on these concoctions. This is one of those hallucinations. You are not real. None of this is. Except for Erik."

I sighed. This process would be harder than I anticipated.

**Hey! So I finally got off my lazy but and finished a chapter before the school year begins. That's positive. But unfortunatley I start school in 2 days so this will probablly come even less frequently then before. Oh well. I just haven't been inspired lately. But I think I know where it's going to go... anyways as always please review because I like criticism, random comments, or questions. Oh and compliments are nice too Lol. but seriously. review. Your reviews inspire me to update sooner. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Alright yet again i'm sorry for the delay, but life is pretty insane for me right now between school work, social life, family, and college applications i haven't had too much time to do this. Oh well. Wel I hope everyone likes this chapter, the next chapter will be prett long, it's the first meeting between all three Eriks. I wonder how that will play out 0.0. I'll try to update soon, but no promises. Happy Halloween Everyone! And please review! I really appreciate feedback good and bad, it helps me see what I need to improve.  
Your faithful author,  
Evilquail**

**ALW Erik**

This is all so alien to me. It seems that I have been truly transported to the future… No that is absolutely impossible. Pure science fiction. Ridiculous notion really. But perhaps I must indulge this strange girl in this bizarre fantasy… After all, I have nothing to go back to.

_Oh Christine_

She was my rock, my only connection to sanity and the light of the world. But she has run off with that… _fop_… and left me, her angel, alone to dwell in the darkness. But I deserve my fate. I am a hideous corpse. I have murdered, stolen, and tortured. I belong in hell, and I was too much of a fool to see that earlier. I never deserved her, and I never will. She deserves so much better than me. She deserves him, so beautiful, so _perfect_.

That girl is speaking to me, but I am not paying attention. I am too absorbed in my own thoughts. She is so very strange: she is dressed like a man with short hair and breeches, yet she seems to be as giddy as a typical schoolgirl. Quite an odd contrast to watch. But perhaps this is the normal way of this time…. Or perhaps we are still in fact in Paris in 1881, and this is simply a mental patient who has somehow escaped the grasp of her nurses. But then, what was that gadget she showed me? Could that simply be a trick of the eye?

"Erik! Are you even listening to me?"  
I turned my attention to the bizarre female.

She looked at the startled expression on my face and sighed, "I guess I'll have to explain it again then. Pay attention this time!"

I nodded in apology as she started to repeat what she had just said.

"Now Erik, I know you are not completely convinced that you are in 2011, but you will have to bear with me. When we transported you from your time, we also transported two other versions of you into this time as well. There are many versions of you; however we only brought two others."  
I looked at the girl perplexed. She really was mad.

"Now the first Erik you will meet is quite possibly the most similar to yourself. He is the first Erik that was created. He has a tendency to be very violent and sadistic, and his disfigurement is worse than any other's."  
I opened my mouth to object to this ludicrous statement, but she continued

"The other Erik is much less violent than either you or the first Erik, however do not be mistaken, he is a murderer. He is a sensitive man, and his deformity is not nearly as bad as yours or the first Erik."

I was enraged. How did she know what my deformity looked like!

Sensing my seething anger, the girl began to back away slowly

"I am sorry if I upset you Erik but…"

"Upset! UPSET! YOU TOOK OFF MY MASK!"

She looked at me startled "I never did, I swear!"  
"Then how do you know what I look like!"

The girl gulped. She was cornered.

"I… I didn't take it off, I knew beforehand. I didn't touch your mask I swear!"

"LIAR!" I grabbed her by the neck once again

I saw the white coated men rush into the room once again

I tried to fight them off, but I quickly felt the familiar pinch

And then it all went black.

::::::::::

**Film Erik**

I listened to my guide's words intently; hanging on each syllable, in order to perhaps understand what was happening to me.

"The first thing we need to do Is acquaint you with the other Erik's"

Other Erik's? Are they simply other people with the same name or… no that is completely impossible… they couldn't be… could they

The girl smiled at my confusion "They are versions of you from other dimensions, however I warn you Erik, they are both cruel and coldhearted men"  
"But I am…"

"You are not nearly as murderous as they are, Erik believe me. In addition you should know that both of them have worse deformities than you."  
I looked at the girl dumbfounded. How could this be? I am hideous, disgusting, a monster. Could there be people who look even more frightening than the Devil's child?

"Erik, I warn you now, do not upset them, you are crafty and skilled with your weapons, but they are much more so. Stay on their good sides."

I nodded, dumbfounded. Surely she was mistaken.

Hopefully she was mistaken…

::::::::::

**Leroux Erik**

Christine… no this Catherine, must be an illusion of my sick demented fantasies. Perhaps I injected myself with too many narcotics… But I don't remember taking opiates recently… perhaps the hallucinations have to do with the constant darkness. When I awaken from this strange dream I must spend some time out of doors, in the daylight. Perhaps I will find a deserted alley I can sit in for an hour in order to give my body a bit of much needed sunlight. As much as I detest it, my body does require the sun's nutrients.

"Erik, I know you don't believe that you are in the future, but you must listen. There are two other Eriks, they are somewhat like you but they are not. They are what you could call reincarnations of yourself, but from the same time period, just in a different dimension. However you must understand that they are not exactly like you. One of the other Erik's is more like you than the other, and make no mistake that both are violent, but you must understand that you are the most notorious of the three. You are the original Erik, and from your story the other two have been created"

I looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. What in Christ's name was she talking about? And why didn't she tell me that I had to literally face myself earlier? This dream or hallucination is getting more bizarre by the second. ..

"Child, Erik does not believe you, but he shall indulge you, come let's meet these other so called 'Erik's.'"


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay last time I updated I felt really bad that I hadn't updated in such a long time, that I made it a point to update ASAP for this chapter. I'll try to update frequently from now on but no guarntees, I am super busy right now with school stuff, but i'll really try Enjoy the chapter!**

Caroline:

The orderlies and I carried Erik into the room where the three Erik's were due to meet. He was beginning to stir from unconsciousness as we hoisted him into a chair. We didn't bother to tie him down as he would be in the company of two equally crafty and murderous men who would have no problem defending themselves. By the time our Erik was fully awake, the two others would be already in the room, and we would be safely behind a shatterproof one way mirror.

I was extremely worried as to what would occur in that room. Would the three masked men attack each other? Or would they be able to find common ground and work out their new surroundings together. I was extraordinarily worried about how the Film Erik would fare. He was much less violently inclined than his peers, and his lack of an extraordinarily terrible deformity might cause a discord between him and the other two.

I watched anxiously as Erik started to open his eyes. He looked around questioningly at the comfortable room, obviously concerned that there was no one there but him. Just then, the door opened, and his fellow phantoms were led inside.

This should be interesting.

::::::::::

Leroux Erik

I walked into the modest living room area where I was appointed to meet the other two. There was a man in a white mask, groaning as if he was coming to his senses; it seemed that he had been unconscious only a few minutes before. I walked towards him, and sat down in an overstuffed armchair, ready to begin a conversation.

He looked like he could be an interesting fellow, we were dressed nearly the same, save for the mask. To my dissent, it appeared that the man had deformity on only around ¾ of his face, and was quite comfortable with leaving his mouth free of obstruction. I was slightly angered as I thought about the discomfort and annoyance the bottom section of my mask caused me, it is nearly impossible to eat in front of someone without them vomiting from disgust… but I suppose that isn't too terrible since no one would willingly dine with a corpse—mask or not. I don't often have supper guests.

I continued to move my eyes down his frame. I was quite pleased to see a catgut hanging out of his jacket. Well at least we would have something to talk about.

Suddenly, the door I had entered opened. Another man walked in, nervously surveying us. Was he a phantom? He certainly didn't look the part. He was dressed in Victorian wear, yet he looked absolutely nothing like a corpse, and apart from the small white mask on his forehead he looked like a rather attractive.

I cleared my throat to grab his attention "Excuse me Monsieur, who are you?"

"I am the Phantom of the Opera. The terror of the Opera Populaire."  
The drama in his voice caused a small chortle to come out of the formerly unconscious man.

"You? Terror? I think not! You couldn't scare a ballet rat, Monsieur, nerveless an entire opera!"

A hint of a smile curled my lips upwards.

Our new arrival clenched his hands in fury. "You shall pay for your cruel words monsieur." He sneered as he grabbed a sword from his belt.

I grabbed my catgut to retaliate and easily tossed it over the new arrival's head. In an instant he was disarmed, helpless, and totally at my mercy.

I chuckled as I looked into his terrified eyes. "And what are you going to do now Monsieur?"

He was utterly unable to speak due to my lasso's grip, so he continued to stare at me, horrified at my power. This man was no phantom at all! Surely whatever was under his mask was trivial compared to my hideous features.

"Now, let's see what's under the mask of yours monsieur." I grabbed the porcelain off his face ignorant to his desperate pleas for mercy. What I saw was almost humorous. He had a deformity, to be sure, but he was no living corpse. The area was red and mangled, but it was nothing that couldn't easily be covered by makeup.

The third phantom was chuckling at the sight, evidently as amused as I was at this "hideous" man.

I released the frightened Erik and he fell to the floor in an emotional heap.

::::::::::

Movie Erik

"Do not look upon my face!" I cried "I am a hideous beast!"

I knelt to the floor in agony. "Oh have mercy on me! I look like death itself!"

I heard snickering and slowly looked up at the two masked men. The one in white mask had a bemused expression, and although I could not see his lips, I am sure that the one in the black mask was laughing. They were not scared of my horrible monstrous face?

The man in the white mask looked at the man in the black mask "Surely this is some kind of joke."

The taller of the pair examined me "Unfortunately I don't believe it is…"

"I AM NO JOKE! I AM A MONSTER! A HORRIBLE BEAST! ALL WHO SEE MY FACE SCREAM IN HORROR! " I cried, silencing the pair.

The man in the black mask smirked again. "Horror, boy? Would you like to see real horror? Would you care to see the face of death itself?" He began to untie his mask, "Feast your eyes, glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!"

And with that he pulled off his mask.

What I saw before me was terrifying. I now understood why he wore a full face mask. It was not for his own sake, but for the sake everyone around him. His skin was yellowed, thin, and wrinkly and abscesses and gashes covered his cheeks. His eyes were sunken into his skull to the point where they were barely visible, and his lips were thin and gaunt. The hair on his head was almost nonexistent and where it did grow it was thin and gray. The worst part though, was his nose- no lack of nose. Instead there was a gaping hole.

After only a few seconds, I felt sick to my stomach, and soon began vomiting on the floor.

The horrible man looked at me with spite. The man in the white mask looked upon the scene in a bit of shock, but that quickly turned to sadistic amusement.

"Horrible isn't it, boy? You wanted to see a monster? A horrible beast? Well now you have" The tall man grabbed my face and forced me to look at him, "You are nothing compared to me, child. I am the original. The true phantom."

The man in the white mask stepped forwards, "how about another exhibit?" he smirked as he began to remove his mask as well.

I tried to close my eyes this time but the tall man held them open and forced me to look at the man who had just taken of his mask. He was not yellowed like the tall man, but red and twisted. His face was pulled and pinched at strange angles, combined with various bruises and pus filled wounds. He had a huge crater on his forehead where bits of bone and fat were visible.

Just as I was about to vomit again, there was a knock at the door, and all three of us grabbed our masks and quickly tied them on. Just then the door opened. It was Anna, followed by a fourth masked man.

"Monsieur's, I would like you to meet another reincarnation of yourselves"

_Oh God. _

::::::::::

**A/N: Oooo cliffhanger! Which erik will it be? Please review, because if you do, I just might be inspired to update sooner! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Wow 3 chapter in a week this is incredible. I've been really pushing myself to write this story, and thanks to your encouraging reviews I've been inspired to write more :) Enjoy the story**

ALW Erik:

Anna led the newest phantom into the room. From a first glance he seemed rather different than the other three. His hair was curly and light brown, and his ¾ mask was a tan color. He seemed overall gentler than my tall companion and I yet he carried himself with a more dignified air than the younger, less disfigured phantom.

"Gentlemen, I would like you to meet another reincarnation of yourselves. Meet Dance Erik. You may find his personality to be a bit different than your own, but I implore you to treat him as an equal."

The newest phantom smiled at us, "Hello. I hope I will not cause you too much trouble and perhaps we can find something in common. I look forward to speaking with you all."

Well at least he was hospitable. He didn't really seem like a phantom though. He seemed to extroverted and friendly to live the life of a ghost. I absentmindedly wondered what he looked like underneath the mask. I deduced that it must be quite horrible, as in my opinion nothing less could keep this seemingly sociable man away from the pleasures of the outside world.

The menacing man in the black mask stood up slowly. He menacingly approached the newest arrival. The new arrival seemed unfazed by the intimidation and extended his hand warmly.

"Hello sir. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Erik, and I have been told that I am officially to be known as "Dance" Erik."

The man in black looked at the extended hand questioningly, and slowly took it and shook politely.

"It is a pleasure. I am the original Erik. You may call me Leroux Erik if you wish."

I stood, mouth slightly agape. He was being… polite to this man? Why I could hardly consider this "Dance" Erik a phantom at all, and yet my companion seems to be reacting warmly to him.

"Dance" Erik smiled at the reception "And who are these other two gentlemen?"

Leroux Erik turned to look at me and the weepy phantom and motioned both of us forward. "This is film Erik, you may call him Gerik if you wish, and this man is musical Erik, you may call him ALW Erik if you wish."

::::::::

Catherine

As Anna exited the room leaving the four Eriks to talk, I noticed that she had not introduced Caroline, Mary, and I to the new Erik's host. I was excited to meet the newest member of our team. I just hoped that she was cordial and sweet, but with Dance Erik as her ward, that was almost a necessity. I looked at Anna questioningly "So who's his guide?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dance Erik, who is going to introduce him to this time period?"

Anna looked at me, eyes widened. "Oh God, I forgot to find someone."

Mary looked confused, "Then how did you get him here?"

"I brought him here myself. It was very easy, he seemed very willing to come after I explained to him that people wouldn't judge him for his looks in the modern era."

"We have to get him a guide, he can't just run around here all by himself, whether or not he may be the most mentally stable of the four phantoms."

Anna sat down in her rolling chair as she continued to observe the phantoms through the one way mirror, "Would one of you care to take on a second phantom?"

Mary sighed "I'm not sure that my Erik would be able to handle that. He's really overwhelmed already, and I think he's somewhat afraid of his fellow opera ghosts. It would probably be better if he just stayed with me."

Anna turned towards Caroline and I "And you two? How would either of you feel about it?"

"I think it just depends on how the Erik's get along" Caroline said as I shook my head in agreement "We can't have two phantoms that can't stand each other living in the same space."

I definitely agreed with Caroline. The Erik I was charged with could be prone to extreme violence, and I certainly wouldn't want him to harm Dance Erik.

Anna sighed "I suppose we should just observe them and see which Erik gets along best with Dance Erik.

We observed the Eriks in question for a few minutes. It was very entertaining watching the four converse, the interaction really seemed to bring out the harsh differences between each reincarnation. It was almost comical to watch the youngest Erik timidly introduce himself to the newcomer, and shrink away at the hand offered to him, as though he expected to be slapped. At the end of the short observational period, it was more than clear who would take Dance Erik.

Anna turned to me with a smile on her face "Congratulations Catherine, you have been selected as the guide for Dance Erik."

:::::::::::

Dance Erik

My fellow phantoms were extraordinarily interesting people. I simply wanted to introduce myself, but it seemed as though my best intentions had been misinterpreted. Luckily, the kind Leroux Erik was able to mediate the discussion without too much of a fuss.

One of the other phantoms was quite sullen and did not react much to my attempts to introduce myself. Perhaps he is just shy. I hope I didn't offend him in any way.

The young man, Gerik I believe, was rather afraid of me at first. Oh dear, I didn't wish to make that kind of impression! I simply wanted to make friends and already people were shying away. I really do try, you know, to make friends. But everyone always seems to hate me. But perhaps in this new century it will be different. Anyways, this Gerik fellow luckily began to warm up to me, and eventually he even began to answer my questions about how he liked this century so far. He seems to enjoy it, and apparently he already has a female companion!

I questioned the others about this and they said that indeed they all had female companions. They explained to me that these women, though sometimes irritating, would be helpful in understanding the things that have happened in the past century and assimilate me into the culture. I frowned at this. I don't believe I could find a single flaw in any woman so kind as to help acquaint me with a strange time.

I watched that sweet woman, Anna I believe was her name, enter the room, followed by three girls. Each phantom acknowledged a girl, and I assumed these to be their respective companions. My anticipation was growing at the thought of meeting my guide.

Anna cleared her throat and looked at me apologetically "Now Dance Erik, unfortunately you do not have a companion, as I seem to have somehow forgotten to find a suitable assistant for you. However, Catherine has volunteered to work with you even though she already is assisting Leroux Erik."

The shortest of the three girls waved at me and smiled. She seemed like quite a friendly young lady.

"Now Leroux Erik" Anna looked pointedly at the black masked man "Are you okay with these arrangements"

The phantom looked at her and then looked at me "Yes that will be fine with me."

Anna looked again at me "And you? Do you feel comfortable with these arrangements?

I smiled "Yes I am, thank you. I appreciate this very much."

Anna clapped her hands together and smiled "I'm glad this has all been worked out! Now girls, its time to introduce your phantoms to their new homes!"

**A/N: The lovely dance Erik has arrived! Will ALW Erik get over his grudge? Will Leroux Erik and Dance Erik continue to get along? How will the Eriks react to the world outside the laboratories? You'll just have to keep reading! And maybe the next chapter will come if I get more reviews. No promises. just a thought... :D**


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